INTERNATIONAL VELVET
UK, 1978, 132 minutes, Colour.
Tatum O' Neal, Christopher Plummer, Anthony Hopkins, Nanette Newman.
Directed by Bryan Forbes.
More than a generation earlier, a beautiful Elizabeth Taylor won the Grand National and has charmed audiences every since. The basic plot, updated and altered to Olympic horsemanship, has been reworked - to its disadvantage, insofar as a romanticised English fairy tale, Hollywood style, is out of place in a world of complexes and complicated morality. It loses its charm. Tatum O' Neal, more ladylike and introspective, does her best in the lead and Christopher Plummer and Anthony Hopkins seem to enjoy themselves. Nanette Newman, a pleasant actress, is not so persuasive as the middle-aged Velvet. It is, thus, another film about a lonely girl, horses and success in a not particularly appealing world - our own.
1. The overall appeal of the film, to what audience? Light, romance? The appeal to girls, women? The emphasis on horses and horse-riding? Success and achievement?
2. The status of the original, its appeal? An old English world and its fantasies transferred to a contemporary world? The use of the same plot? The American touch, the atmosphere of the 70s, the highlights of the original Velvet and the application to Sarah on the international scene?
3. The impact of Tatum O’ Neal in the central role, her style, personality? The echoes of Elizabeth Taylor in the original? Nanette Newman as the grown Velvet, Elizabeth Taylor grown up? Credible?
4. Critics were critical of the film's cliches and banality. Was this justified? The using of stock material, conventions? Conventionally or not? The basic human interest? Basic insight and wisdom or not?
5. The flashback framework and its effectiveness? Velvet and her reminiscing, her memories of her own past, achievement, love of horses, the medal and its not being awarded her? Voicing her thoughts aloud on all the topics? Our understanding Sarah through Velvet's eyes and feelings? The return to this scene at the end with all that had happened in between? The climax of the film on the beach and the presentation of the medal? A valuable and feeling framework for the film? A film of reminiscence and understanding? The character of Velvet within this framework - how much did the film rely on the original, its allusions? The importance of the tribute sequence to Velvet? Her family, the memory of her mother and her swimming and achievement, her father, sisters and brothers, the accident? The failed marriage? Her relationship with John? The bond to Sarah and her childlessness? Worrying woman? Trying to reach Sarah? Failures, the running away and its effect on her and her panic, the horse and the foal? Sharing in her achievement and training, the competition, the 'phone calls? Her being rewarded by Sarah's return to her?
6. The portrait of Sarah - a credible young girl? Her arrival and solemness, background, relationship with Velvet? The American background? Settling in, her bluntness to Velvet and John, especially about their not being married? At school and people picking on her - and the young man devoted to her later, kissing her in the stable? Her running away and the repercussions? The way she talked and kept silent, the zeal for buying the foal and the jobs to earn the money, the helping by John, the disappointment and the joy when it was hers? Arizona Pie and the repercussions? Training, achievement, winning, the competitions, her learning team work, the encounters with Johnny Johnson and her disappointment? Her relationship with the other members of the team, the American tour, Scott and his fascination? How well did the film build up to her Olympic choice and the news of it, her participation, the background to the Games, her achievement, shoulder, perseverance in winning? The achievement with the medal? Tatum O’ Neal and her range from young girl to young lady? The portrait of Sarah as heroine, riding champion, the wish fantasy fulfilment?
7. John as a pleasant Englishman, his wisdom, love for Velvet, his attempts to help Sarah, confronted by the truth, helping her to buy the foal? The impact of his writing these sleazy novels to pay for her achievement? His joy at the end in bring Sarah to Velvet?
8. The character of Johnny Johnson - the conventional trainer, selector? English type, manner, way of speaking, harshness? His styles of training, team-work? The trip to the United States, her continued encounters with him, the talk in the stable, his trusting her to win?
9. The human and feeling aspects of the relationship of Sarah and Velvet? Themes of parents, family, awkwardness? How did the tribute to Velvet change Sarah's attitudes? What were the bonds between the two - as illustrated by the telephone calls, Velvet watching the television and anxious, the end?
10. The portrait of Scott - an American hero, the rivalry, competition, shared experiences? The credibility of Sarah's marrying him?
11. How important was the visual presentation of the riding - the British countryside, training, competition, the American atmosphere, the long time spent on the Olympics with the attention to detail, slow motion, tension, endurance and courage? Audience interest in the riding and its skills? A British sport?
12. How could the film be characterized for a popular audience, happy, nice, "cliched and corny"? The modern atmosphere and the rather ugly world in which competition is fought?
